Stationary tub laundry machine



Dec. 29, 1.931. H. w. RETTEW STATIONARY TUB LAUNDRY MACHINE 3Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed NOV. 5, 1928 jravazzzr W777 WW1) Dec. 29. 1931.

H. w. RETTEW 1,839,120

STATIONARY TUB LAUNDRY MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 5, 1928 EWMWKDec. 29, 1931 H. w. RETTEW v STATIONARY TUB LAUNDRY MACHINE Filed Nov.-5, 1928 s. Sheets-Sheet s .2 u n W I III/ I I l// I'll I I III I g I II, 35

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ML L3 .Zfiuaafir Patented Dec. 29, 1931 PATENT OFFICE HARRY w. nn'rmnw,or WYNGOTE, PENNSYLVANIA I STATION .ARY TUB LAUNDRY Application filedNovember 5, 1928. Serial No. 317,147.

This invention relates to improvements in laundry apparatus andparticularly to a combined stationary ing machine.

Inits broadest aspect the invention contemplates laundry apparatus of acombined type in that there is a receptacle that may be used either as alaundry tub or a washing machine by reason of the fact that thereceptacle is provided with inlets and an outlet for the delivery anddischarge of water thereto and therefrom and a washing machine elementin the nature of an agitator removably supported within the receptacle.

More particularly, the primary object of the invention is to provide areceptacle that may be used as a laundry tub or a washing machine, theapparatus being of the stationary type in that the inlets and theoutlet,

2 before mentioned, are adapted to be permanently connected to the watersystem of the dwelling in which it is installed, or in whatever otherplace it is to be used. This receptacle has removably supported thereina Washing element, preferably consistin of a motor driven agitatormounted on t e receptacle cover, the cover being pivoted so as to permitit to be raised or lowered to position the agitator within thereceptacle or to remove it therefrom. IVith a combined structure such asoutlined the clothes to be laundered can be handled with considerablymore case and convenience-by reason of the fact that they may be washedsimply by placing them in the receptacle, lowering the cover to positionthe agitator in its operating position, and delivering through the inletconnections the desired quantity of water. After the lothes have beenwashed they need not be removed for rinsing, it only being necessary toopen the outlet or discharge connection to drain the receptacle, afterwhich more water can be placed in the receptacle for rinsing purposes.Ariother advantage of the present apparatus is the permanent connectionof the inlets and outlet to the Water system of the dwelling or otherplace of use. These permanent connections render it unnecessary for theuser or operator to transport water either to the receplaundry tub andwashtacle for use, or from'the receptacle '"ler use. This is not onlyadvantageous so far as convenience to the operator is concerned but iteliminates the accumulation of waste water'on the floor around thereceptacle.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in certaindetails of construction, combinations and arrangements of parts, all aswill hereinafter be more fully described and the novel features thereofpar- 0 ticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating a preferred embodiment of theinvention,-

Figure 1 is a plan view of a combined stationary laundry tub and washingmachine;

Fig. 2 is an end view thereof with a portion of the tub and its coverbroken away to illustrate'details of some of. the interior construction;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view taken on the line 3-3 ofFig. 2, a portion of the lid or cover being broken away;

Fig. 4 is a front edge view ofthe cover with the housing for theoperating mechanism of the washing element broken away in order toillustrate portions of this mechanism; v

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view on the line 5'5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view of the tub flange illustratingthe application of a wringer on the apparatus, the wringer being shownin elevation.

In accordance with the presentinvention there is a single receptaclewhich serves as the container of both a washing machine and as a laundrytub. This receptacle indicated at 10, is mounted on a pedestal 9 formedwith a base portion 8 for permanent attachment or installation of theapparatus. For purposes of imparting a neat appearance to the apparatus,pedestal 9 is preferably hollow and concealed in the interior thereof isa drain pipe 13,provided with a trap 14, and connected at its upper endwith an outlet opening 12 formed in a partition 11 in the upper portionof the pedestal, this partition constituting the lowermost portion ofthe bottom of the receptacle 10. Flow of'water through discharge opening12 is controlled by a valve 15. For convenience valve 15 is actuated bymeans of a lever 16 which, in turn, is adapted to be operated from theup per surface of the receptacle by a rod 17 whose upper end projectsthrough a suitable opening in a horizontal flange 18 formed at the upperedge of the receptacle. For the delivery of water to the receptaclethere are two faucets or inlets 19, one for cold water and one for hotwater. In the present instance, these valve controlled inlet connectionsare located in the top of the receptacle although this particularlocation is not essential. As has been mentioned, the base 8 of thepedestal carrying receptacle 10 is adapted to be permanently aflixedwherever it is installed. Likewise, the inlets 19 and the outlet 12 areadapted to be permanently connected to the Water system of the dwelling,or other point where the apparatus is to be used. That is, faucets 19are permanently connected to the hot and cold water supply pipes, andthe pipe 13 from outlet 12 is adapted to be permanently connected withthe usual sewer pipe. With this arangement it is unnecessary to carry tothe receptacle water to be used in the washing or rinsing of the clothesand it is, likewise, unnecessary to manually withdraw water from thereceptacle either through an outlet faucet or by tapping it to somepoint from which it may be carried off by the water system.

In view of the facility with which the receptacle may be filled andemptied, said receptacle may conveniently be used both for washing andrinsing clothes and, for this reason, it is provided with washingmachine elements that are removable and operatively supported within itsinterior. As shown in .particular in Figs. 2 and 5 there is an agitator28 adapted to be positioned within the 7 interior of the receptacle,said agitator being actuated by a suitable driving mechanism. Theagitator may, of course, be mounted in various ways, the only essentialpoint being that it be removably supported in its operating positionwithin the receptacle so that after the clothes have been washed and thewash water drained therefrom, the agitator may also be removed to permitrinsing of the clothes. Preferably, however, agitator 28 is carried by acover 21 pivotally supported at the'top of the receptacle. 'Forinstance, the cover 21 may be provided with hinged members 22 capable ofrocking on pintles 23whereby the cover may be raised and lowered, a handgrip 24 being formed in the cover to facilitateraising and lowering thesame. The agitator is actuated preferably by a motor mounted at asuitable point-in the structure. As shown in Figs. 3 to 5 the motor 34and the connections between the same and the agitator may be enclosedwithin a housing 25 suspended from the inner surface of cover 21. Theseoperating connections may consist of a worm 32 carried on the motorshaft 33 and meshing with a gear 31, said gear and a crank disk 29 onthe agitator shaft 26, being operatively connected by a pitman 30attached cc.- centrically to said disk 29 and gear 31. Current may besupplied to the motor by lead wires (not shown) and these wires may beconcealed in a. suitable outlet 35 in the lid or cover 21.

The apparatus may also comprise a wringer 36 supported at a suitablepoint on flange 18 of the receptacle. In order that the wringer may beadjustable so that it may assume different positions, flange 18 isprovided with a socket 40 in which is received a trunnion formed at thelower end of the wringer frame. In this way the frame is swiveled in theflange, being held in any desired position by a set screw 41 extendingthrough the wall of the socket and impinging against said trunnion. Foractuating the wringer there is a motor 39 operatively associated withthe wringer rolls 38 through wringer roll gear 37 The receptacle is alsoprovided with an overflow outlet 42 in the side thereof. This outlet maybe connected by a suitable conduit with the waste pipe 13, so if, bychance, the supply faucets are unintentionally left open and thedischarge opening left closed, water deposited in t e receptacle cannotrise to a level where it will reach the housing 25.

Advantages of a combined apparatus of this nature might be said to benumerous but the most important ones are the convenience with which theclothes may be both washed and rinsed. Both of these operations may becarried outwithout removing the clothes from the washing receptacle to arinsing receptacle and without the operator transporting any waterwhatever, it only being necessary to open drainage opening 12 to drainof! wash water and, after this is done, close the discharge opening andagain fill the receptacle with fresh water through the supplyconnections 19. In other words, both washing and rinsing is done in onestationary tub with water that is handled with the same degree of easeas if the two operations were separately carried out in the two separatestationary tubs that are now comm only found in practically allhouseholds. This is true, even though the washing means are electricallydriven because the motor, the agitator and the operating connectionsbetween the two can be removed from the interior of the receptaclesimply by raising the cover 21. As has been pointed out it is notnecessary to mount the motor at the particular point shown in thepresent instance but it is, of

course, necessary that the agitator be capable of being operatively andremovably positioned within the receptacle. In other words,

it is possible to positon the motor at the exterior of the receptacle.

What I claim is:

1. In a combined stationary laundry tub and washing machine, areceptacle having valve controlled inlets and an outlet, a hollowsupporting pedestal for said receptacle, a drain pipe within saidpedestal connected to said outlet, a pivoted cover for said receptacle,and a motor driven agitator carried by said pivoted cover and adapted tobe operatively but removably positioned within the receptacle.

2. In a combined stationary tub and washing machine, a receptacle havingvalue controlled inlets and outlet, a cover for said receptacle, ahousing on the inner side of said cover, a shaft journaled in said coverand housing, a motor, driving connections between said shaft and motorlocated within said housing, said receptacle having an overflow openingtherein below said housing, and an agitator on said shaft below saidhousing, said cover being pivotally mounted on the receptacle to movethe agitator and its driving connections in to and out of the receptaclewithout detachment of the cover whereby the receptacle may be used as awashing machine or a laundry tub.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto affixed by signature.

HARRY W. RETTEW.

